I felt it was time for Monty to be center-stage once again.
I mean, look at that face. How could anyone resist?
The painted rock was a gift from the little girl who played Don’s daughter in Our Town. The framed Japanese print was an antiquing find a few years back – we found it in a little shop. The industrial stool was discovered in a local shop not long after we moved in here.
Monty was discovered in a little town on the Hudson way back when we were still renting.
I brought the portulaca in from the funky patio. I’m overwintering it and so far, so good. It just bloomed.
And it has pretty new growth. Fingers crossed.
I had to share some photos with you, because I usually do.
However, this is what’s really on my mind today. My dad was taken by ambulance to the hospital last night. Meredith called me around 10:30 after the rehab facility called her to tell her the news. He has been on Coumadin, a blood thinner, for a few years now and for some reason, we don’t know the whole story yet, his blood is so thin that horrible bruising has appeared all over his right arm. A cat scan eased one of the doctor’s worries – that there was bleeding on the brain. There isn’t. But there may be bleeding happening elsewhere. When Mer texted me in the middle of the night with an update, the doctor was calling in a hematologist. He’s been admitted to ICU because any sort of accident or fall would be fatal at this point. So they want to keep a close watch on him.
Mer is going to try to get to the bottom of what might be the cause. Did Westchester Gardens (the rehab facility) have the wrong information on dosage? Were they giving too much? We know from our mother’s time there that sometimes the hospital doesn’t send all of the medication information or the information they send is not accurate.
Anyway. I’m very worried. Suddenly, this rehab stay for Dad’s back has turned into something much more and to say we are alarmed is an understatement.
The latest: The coumadin level is much lower this morning, which is good. He might be transferred out of ICU to another room later in the day, but we don’t know for sure.
Happy Tuesday.
My husband, age 74, has that awful bruising on his arms. The only blood thinner he is on is aspirin. The doctors are not very worried about it. It could mean anemia, but they tell me it is very common in older people. The bruises do bleed very easily, and he has a large supply of bandages. I hope this is helpful.
Thank you, Melanie. But he has very high levels of Coumadin in his blood and they’re trying to figure out why. I know that bruising is common in older people, but my dad has never been one to bruise easily and the doctors are alarmed, so he has to be in the ICU.
It’s good your Dad is in the hospital. Coumadin must be precisely dosed, a change as small as 0.25mg can have a big effect. It is an old drug, so doctors have a good understanding of how to treat problems like your Dad is experiencing. I hope & pray things will improve for your Dad.
They’ve been playing with Dad’s dosage for a while – he gets blood tests every other day. So why this has happened is a mystery. Meredith and her husband are very familiar with Coumadin as he has had to be on it for years.
So sorry to hear this Claudia. I know how hard it must be for you to be so far away and feeling helpless. Praying for your Dad, you and Meredith and the doctors attending to your Dad.
Judy
Thank you, Judy.
Claudia, It is so hard to be far from family during these times of worry. Take care. Doris
Thank you, Doris.
Oh, that’s difficult. I hope you get some answers soon.
Thank you. Hopefully the mystery will be solved.
Claudia I am sending you soft hugs, Meredith, too. Keep us updated.
Thank you, Debbie.
oh … sorry that you all are going through that. am sure it is difficult for you to not be there, especially now. take care of yourself!
prayers said and will continue for your father, sister, you all and the people attending to your father!
kathy
Thank you Kathy.
Sorry to hear about your dad’s problems, but sounds like they are doing the right things to get his levels under control quickly. My husband has been on it for years, and it requires frequent monitoring…so many things affect the levels. xo
Thank you, Linda. Hopefully, Mer can get to the bottom of this mystery.
I’m so sorry to hear about your Dad. It’s so scary to get one of those calls at an unusual time. I just got one this morning about my Mom. And every time…my heart seems to skip a beat…as I’m sure yours and Meredith’s does. Hoping your Dad is on the mend quickly! Sending hugs! ;)
Thank you, Donnamae!
Oh Claudia, I know you are worried. My Mom is on blood thinners and we had that bout in the hospital because her blood pressure got so low! They knew she was bleeding somewhere but never did find it. After a blood infusion and meds they changed her blood thinner and she is doing much better. It is sooo scary. Prayers for you Dad and hoping that Mer can get to the bottom of what happened. Keep us updated.
xoxo
Linda
Thank you, Linda. The doctor thinks we might want to take him off the blood thinners. We’ll see.
Sending thoughts and prayers to all of you. It seems like different things can cause a chain reaction of sorts with many meds, and blood thinners are no exceptions, for sure. It sounds like the staff reacted quickly to the situation. I hope his levels continue to improve so that all of you can get some rest and peace. ?
Thank you, Chris.
My Mom is 97 just moved in with my older sister’s family ( lived alone until her last fall). So I know about those dreaded phone calls. Hoping for the best for your Dad.
Thank you, Mary.
I like the little pink flowers. They are a welcome bit of colour this dreary grey morning.
I take ASA for my heart and always seem to have a bruise or two without knowing how it happened. (Thank goodness for dark nylons.) I hope your dad is feeling much better soon.
I’ve always bruised easily and so did my mom. But Dad doesn’t. He’s getting some x-rays right now of his shoulder. Thank you, Barbara.
Thank God the levels are better this morning. Hopefully, they will find the cause and develop an appropriate action plan.
I will continue to hold you close in my heart and prayers.
Thank you, Beverly.
I like Monty. Ever since my husband first tried to milk a cow in Cornwall, the family bought him black and white cows. We have a small collection on top of the dresser.
So sorry to hear about your Dad. The facility where your Dad was should keep records of every med with dosage dispensed. Sorry there is additional worry for you and additional running around for your sister.
Thank you, Wendy. It’s especially hard on my sister, who has to do everything down there, miss work, and is very sleep deprived.
Prayers for your Dad Claudia. I know this is so hard for you. Know that you (and Meredith) are in my prayers and thoughts as well.
Thank you, Vera.
Fingers crossed.
Thank you, Margaret.
keeping you and your dad in my thoughts and close to my heart. I hope he feels better soon and you have some relief from your worry. I know it’s hard living far from your parents. I do to although we are in the same state.
It’s very hard. Thank you, Deanna.
“Lady” who I have written about on my blog is 95, on blood thinners and suffers dreadfully with bruising, it comes and goes. So I hope that it will go again for your Dad and that all will be as well as it can. Thinking of you and him. Please send my love to Meredith too. xx
Thank you, Amy.
Hugs to you and your sister. It is so hard to watch our parents become so vulnerable.
Thank you, Carolyn Marie.
I’m so sorry about this Claudia…and just when you thought you had him settled in at the place he wanted to be…I finally got off the blood thinner after taking it for years for my heart…I will be thinking of all of you..Please let us know how he is doing…Hugs..
Thank you, Nancy.
Thoughts and prayers to you and Meredith. It is so hard to watch our parents grow older. I hope that the hospital has discovered the cause of the problem and things will only get better from here.
Blessings,
Betsy
Thank you, Betsy.
Life just isn’t fair. Nobody said it would be, but still….you’ve had more than your share. Praying for your daddy.
This may not be the time, but I got my CD!!!!!!Finally–I say finally, because when I ordered it (as soon as you posted that it was available, it was back ordered–waahh. But so worth the wait. I LOVE IT. Am ordering some for gifts. The junk on radio (in my area, at least) just sickens me
when I know there is REAL talent out there. And wonderful shows like WOODSTOCK RADIO.
I really enjoyed it. KUT, in Austin, has similar programming, but I can’t hear that, either.
Don mentioned that he wasn’t rich, while talking about his career. He is one , if not The richest person I know. Money is nothing to what he has.
jane-in-tx
Ah, Jane, thank you. Don will be thrilled to hear this. I keep wanting to shout out on the blog how good the CD is, but it’s a tricky balancing act. I don’t want everyone to get sick of me talking about it or to think I’m trying to get everyone to buy it.
But it’s REALLY good! Bless you, Jane. xo
I will say a prayer for your dad. My sister called me this morning and told me that my father went off to the hospital yet again (he lives at home with my mom). No apparent injuries, but he fell twice yesterday and had to be raised from the floor by the security at their senior complex. This has happened numerous times in the last couple of years. The last time was a year ago at the end of summer and he was in rehab for several months. I am afraid that is what is going to happen again. My mother just cannot take care of him, and his medical concerns make it impossible for him to live with any of us. He really needs to be in a nursing home, but he didn’t even want to go to the hospital, so you can imagine what he feels about nursing homes. I certainly understand your concerns for your dad. At least my parents are in the same county as I am.
That was happening a lot to my mom, which is why she eventually ended up in the nursing home. I understand your worry about that. We often think my dad should be in some sort of assisted living, have tried to talk him into it, but he won’t budge.
Thank you, Laura.
Prayers for your Dad and you!! Keep us posted. ((Hug))
Thank you, Liz!
I’m glad they got a hematologist! Go straight to the expert. Dosing can be tough, liver function and diet can be a huge factor in keeping properly anti coagulated. If the dosing gets straightened out, make sure to speak with a dietician to ensure the rehab facility isn’t giving him foods that effect his INR. Also ask about other anticoagulant options. Sometimes risk factors, such as falls, outweigh the benefits of some drugs. Pradaxa and other options exist, so ask to make sure everything is considered!
It sounds like the hospital has done all correct steps.
I hope all works out quickly and that he has a speedy recovery!
Thank you so much for this information, Kat. Do you work in a hospital as a doctor or nurse? Just curious!
Glad to hear that there was a positive change in your dad’s condition. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Thank you, Sheryl.
I feel like I’m always sharing a similar story but my dad was on Coumadin for years as well and, I’m trying to remember the sequence of events here because a lot of it has become a blur (and it was several years ago; I was highly stressed at the time; at one point I had my mom in the ER at the same time my dad was on life support, then I had to…myself…be taken to the ER by paramedics because I got into stroke-level [high] blood pressure after days of no sleep and being on red alert status) but after Dad had been in ICU for weeks, then transferred hospital to hospital by ambulance for a pacemaker, SOMEthing happened of which we never got a full story on, to make his left hand/arm turn black, from fingers to elbow. It was gruesome but gave him zero pain. If the doctors had guesses about how it occurred, they weren’t say’in. It wasn’t because of an IV/injection site. My father was age 84 at the time and we were conditioned to easy bruising with him due to the blood thinner…but nothing like this, ever. I peppered all of the medical professionals with direct questions and Dad was mentally very alert; he’d said to his knowledge he hadn’t been dropped nor had he fallen. He was in a very fragile state because he’d been hospitalized, in a bed, for a month before the pacemaker; his strength was really compromised. I don’t know what was happening behind the scenes about the black arm/hand except to say that the doctors just ‘kept an eye’ on it and, despite my sister-in-law’s dire predictions of what it could mean (she meant well…an experienced nurse…but it obviously didn’t apply in Dad’s case), the discoloration eventually disappeared but I just remember it took maybe a month for it to go away. Every situation, every medical event, every patient is clearly unique but in my dad’s particular case, it was something that looked really bad but which was not exactly a cause for alarm…although, I’m telling you, every new nurse that came on shift was definitely alarmed when she/he first saw the arm. Anyway, I hope you get good news on a possible cause although if I’ve learned anything from my own extended medical care over the past fifteen years, sometimes there’s ‘that which cannot be explained’…and doctors don’t always have an answer. This is all my personal opinion, of course. So, I’m keeping good, healing thoughts for your dad, and comforting ones to you. Care of our elderly parents is so hard; things can escalate pretty quickly with them sometimes. I felt, as daughter and caregiver, I was often if not mostly in continual crisis mode. I’m glad you have your sister so that you can put heads together.
Thank you, Vicki.
Sending all the best thoughts for your Dad. Hope his dosages are straightened out soon. Medicine is as much an art as it is a science, I think, and something tells me there’s a little magic involved in most situations as well. A virtual squeeze for you too – it’s hard to be so far away at times like these. Be good to yourself…
Thank you, Janet.
Claudia – I hope everything works out for your dad. My 93 year-old mom been on Coumadin for a number of years and I know all about monitoring it. I will keep him, you and your family in my prayers.
Thank you, Sharon.
Sending hugs as I know how very hard it is to do this long distance. Hope good news comes soon.
Thank you, Tracy.
I finally got to see Don’s “The Good Wife” episode. This blogging world is so wonderful, and so weird … I can’t believe how excited I was to see “my good friend Don” on TV … only he’s really not my friend, but rather the husband of my good friend Claudia … only she’s really not my friend either … except she is!!! Don’t you just love blogging friendships?! :) He did such a great job – but his part was too short. Did he enjoy working with Michael J. Fox?
What scarey news to get about your dad! I hope everything gets figured out ASAP – I will be praying for him, for sure.
Yes, he said Michael J. Fox was very nice.
Thank you, Debbie.
I am so sorry to hear this, Claudia. Blessings to you and your family.
Thank you, Nancy.
My 95 year old mother was admitted to hospital Sunday after a fall and today my 90 year old FIL is waiting to be admitted in another local hospital with worrisome GI issues. Sigh.
Wishing you and your family strength and peace.
And wishing the same for you and your family, Deb. Life can be very tough, can’t it?
Prayers for your dad. XOXO
Thank you, Janie.
Sending good thoughts and lots of prayers your way. So difficult when there is distance between you and your dad. Hopefully the doctors can find the problem and give you good news.
Thank you, Liz.